"Right! Good f'r you!" exclaimed Mr. Neal, much gratified. "That's just what I tell the boys when they say you're playin' poltix with the little dominie. And that," said he, briskly, "is just why I'm for the reformatory, in spite of Rev. Dayne's little games."
"You're for it! You said just now that you were opposed to it."
"Not to the reformatory, Mr. West. Not at all. I'm only opposed to spending a hundred thousand dollars for it in a poverty year."
"Oh! You want the reformatory, but you don't want it now. That's where you stand, is it?"
"Yes, and everybody else that understands just what the situation is. I believe in this reformatory—the Post converted me, that's a fact—and if you'll only let her stand two years, take my word for it, she'll go through with a whoop. But if you're going to hurry the thing—"
"What's your idea of hurry exactly? The war has been over forty years—"
"And look how splendid we've got along these forty years without the reformatory! Will you care to say, Mr. West, that we couldn't make it forty-two without bringing great danger to the State?"
"No, certainly not. But the point is—"
"The point is that if we spend all this money now, the people will kick the party out at the next election. I wouldn't admit this to many, 'cause I'm ashamed of it, but it's gospel truth. Mr. West," said Plonny, earnestly, "I know you want the Post to stand for the welfare of the party—"
"Certainly. And it has been my idea that evidence of sane interest in public morals was a pretty good card for—"